Damon Hill drops his verdict on Max Verstappen's bold claims and Charles Leclerc's rebuttal
Former F1 champion Damon Hill recently gave his opinion on Max Verstappen's claim that he could have won the world title earlier with Ferrari and Charles Leclerc's rebuttal to that comment. This came after the Red Bull driver clinched his fourth consecutive world championship at the 2024 F1 Las Vegas GP.
Verstappen managed to stay ahead of his title rival Lando Norris at the finish line, thus winning the championship. The Dutchman qualified P5 and secured the same position at the finish. After winning his fourth title, Verstappen said he could have won the 2024 F1 championship much earlier had he been in a Ferrari. Asked if he could have won the championship in a McLaren, Verstappen said (via Motorsport.com),
"Yes, even earlier, so [I would have been] further ahead. [With the Ferrari], pretty much the same I think."
Responding to this, Ferrari star Charles Leclerc said Verstappen's claim that he could have won a championship early in Ferrari was a "bit of a stretch." Leclerc said (via motorsport.com),
“I think it’s very difficult to say something like that not knowing actually what the car is like. So, it’s maybe a bit of a stretch to say something like that.”
In light of this, former F1 world champion Damon Hill shared his take on both Verstappen and Leclerc's comments in his Instagram stories. He shared both drivers' quotes and wrote,
"Frank talking is good for F1"
Max Verstappen claims he could have wrapped the 2024 championship earlier with McLaren
Apart from claiming that he could have won the 2024 championship earlier with Ferrari, Max Verstappen also said that he could have done it with McLaren as well.
In the first half of the 2024 F1 season, McLaren drastically improved their on-track performance. The team closed the gap to Red Bull and made a faster car compared to the reigning world champions.
Speaking to De Telegraaf, he said this year he proved he could win titles even when he does not have the best car on the grid. The Red Bull star added that he could have wrapped up the championship much earlier than the Las Vegas GP if he drove for McLaren. Verstappen said,
"If people are critical and think that I can only win in the best car, then I prove the opposite. If I don't get credit for this now, then I don't know what else I can do. Would I have become champion in the McLaren? Yes! And much earlier too."
Max Verstappen has won the championship, with his current tally at 403 points, while Lando Norris remains in second place with 340 points.